Dean on Politicians Tweeting

Professor of Political Science Jodi Dean, author of “Blog Theory” (Polity 2010) has nearly 2,000 followers on Twitter. The Messenger Post recently caught up with her in person to discuss her thoughts on the number of politicians on Twitter. Dean noted she is not surprised that so many of them are, and the idea of joining Twitter isn’t original.

“I don’t think there’s any thinking, just following,” Dean is quoted. “But if you ignore it, it’s like ignoring pencil and paper.”

According to the article, Dean “does not follow politicians online. She said while Twitter can be another tool for making announcements, it isn’t something that is vital for people looking for information.”

“Why would anyone care about them?” Dean asked of politicians’ Twitter accounts. “It reduces politics to its most idiotic branding. I don’t see why anyone would follow them.”

Dean earned a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She is a past recipient of the faculty award for scholarship. Dean is the author of seven books, including “Blog Theory” and “Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies” (Duke 2009).

The full article follows.

Messenger Post NewspaperWhen politicians tweet: Benefits and risksAs more local politicians join the popular social media site on Twitter, some question its effectivenessScott Pukos • Staff Writer • March 18, 2013

Canandaigua, N.Y. – Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, managed to separately denounce the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act, show support for local businesses, and even pledge his allegiance to Syracuse University basketball – each in fewer than 140 characters.And that was just on a Friday.

Kolb is one of many politicians who utilizes social media – particularly Twitter – to reach a wider audience. Twitter has become a key tool in communicating with constituents and expressing viewpoints, Kolb said.

“Before social media came along, you were always relying on mainstream media in Albany to communicate what we’re doing,” Kolb said. “It allows us the opportunity to not be filtered.”

A look behind the tweetsPresident Barack Obama is among the government officials with a Twitter account. He has nearly 30 million followers on the social media site, and nearly 10,000 tweets. But not all those tweets come directly from the president’s fingers.It’s the same for local politicians.

In his first week working for Kolb, Director of Communications Mike Fraser joined the small group of people with access to the minority leader’s Twitter account. It is important that only a few people have access to Kolb’s Twitter password, he added.

Fraser compared the situation to others who use the site, and said that no one would want dozens of people to have access to their personal accounts. It just increases the chance of sending out a tweet that does not represent the politician’s views.

Kolb added that he tries to insert some personality in his tweets, such as tidbits about his favorite sports teams: the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres and New York Yankees.

“There is a personal touch to it,” Fraser said. “It is the leader communicating outwardly to his followers.”

To follow or not to follow?Aside from Kolb, other local politicians with Twitter accounts include Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning; Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; and Canandaigua Mayor Ellen Polimeni.

The high number of politicians on Twitter is no surprise, said Jodi Dean, a professor of political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva and the author of 2010’s “Blog Theory,” a critical theory of contemporary media.

She added that the line of thinking to join Twitter isn’t exactly an original one.“I don’t think there’s any thinking, just following,” Dean said. “But if you ignore it, it’s like ignoring pencil and paper.”

Dean – who has nearly 2,000 followers on Twitter – added that she does not follow politicians online. She said while Twitter can be another tool for making announcements, it isn’t something that is vital for people looking for information.“Why would anyone care about them?” Dean asked of politicians’ Twitter accounts. “It reduces politics to its most idiotic branding. I don’t see why anyone would follow them.”

Ontario County and TwitterWhile there are a lot of government officials on Twitter, a number of Ontario County officials do not have accounts on the social networking website.Additionally, some have accounts, but do not tweet. Mayor Polimeni is among that group. She has an account, but has only sent out one tweet, and that was nearly two years ago.

Naples Town Supervisor John Cowley is among those officials with no Twitter account, though he’s not opposed to joining. His main reason for not participating in Twitter at the moment is simply that he doesn’t know much about the functions of the site.

“I just don’t know much about it,” Cowley said. “I’m not going to send out messages if I don’t know where they’re going.”

He added that the Village of Naples utilizes Facebook as a way to reach its community, and added that he supports that use of technology.

“Social media is something you can’t deny,” Cowley said. “It’s right there in front of us.”

The risksAs with other forms of social media, there can be risk in using Twitter, especially for public figures. An infamous occurrence happened in 2011 when former U.S. representative Anthony Weiner accidentally tweeted a lewd photo of himself, Dean said.

Kolb said the obvious goal is to safeguard against unwanted tweets, whether they’re self-inflicted or a result of another person’s mistake.One way to accomplish this is to limit the amount of people who have access to the account. That practice eliminates the possibility of a staff member mistaking Kolb’s account for their personal Twitter profile, and tweeting a message that is not approved by the minority leader.

“We have an internal security process that I think is pretty tight,” he said. “I feel good that we have precautions that (the tweet) is from me.”

Kolb added that he is careful about who he follows on Twitter as well, to avoid latching on to something inappropriate.